A Grand Return: Information for Back-to-School

Schools are ready to welcome students back in the Grand Return on Tuesday, September 5! Below you’ll find links and information to help make it a successful start.

Transportation

Information about bus routes, pickup locations and schedule times can be found here.

For transportation information for students from Six Nations attending Grand Erie schools, contact Sharp Bus Lines directly by calling 519-751-3434. Students from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who attend a Grand Erie school can find bus details by calling Caledonia Transportation at 905-692-4488.
 

Registration

Returning students do not need to register, unless changing schools within Grand Erie. For families new to Grand Erie or who have moved within Grand Erie, please visit our Registration page for details.
 

Starting Kindergarten

If you have a child who was born in 2019, they are eligible to start Kindergarten for the 2023-24 school year. To register, visit our Kindergarten page.

Kindergarten students start school in September through a gradual entry process:

• Tuesday, September 5: all year 2 Kindergarten students
• Wednesday, September 6: half year 1 and all year 2 students
• Thursday, September 7: other half of year 1 and all year 2 students
• Friday, September 8: all Kindergarten students
   

School-Based Forms Going Digital

Grand Erie is making the distribution, completion and collection of forms for schools and parents/caregivers easier. We are now implementing elements of the existing School Cash Online system to process forms. Starting the first week of September, all participating schools will be able to send board-generated forms to parents/caregivers through School Cash Online. Traditionally, these paper forms were sent home and collected each year during the first week of school. This is optional for schools in the first year of implementation.
 

 2023-24 School Year Calendar

The calendar for the entire school year is available here, with separate calendars for elementary and secondary schools. Please contact your school directly for any school-specific questions about activities or schedules.

Grand Opening of the Snoezelen Room

Elgin Avenue Public School welcomed staff, students and community to the Grand Opening of the Snoezelen Room on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

On hand for this special occasion was Chair of the Board Carol Ann Sloat, Trustee Rita Collver and Superintendent Liana Thompson as well as several members of the community that contributed to the fundraising, and Elgin staff members.

Allie Richardson (teacher of students with autism), Lori Minarik (EA working with students with autism) and Samantha Nicholson (Principal) worked together for over three and a half years to fundraise for this $30,000 project. The Elgin community, parents, local charities and the Grand Erie District School Board all came together to make this project a huge success.

A Snoezelen Room is a multi-sensory environment that provides a controlled, safe, relaxing space for individuals with a variety of sensory needs. The room is set up to give individuals a positive space where they can meet their specific needs in a calming atmosphere. This atmosphere helps in reducing fear, anxieties, repetitive behaviour, self-abusive behaviour and aggressive behaviour so that students are better able to learn. Students at Elgin in both self-contained classes and in the regular classes will be able to access the room to help meet their sensory needs.

According to Seth, a student who accesses the room daily, “It is the best room ever!!!”